Gandhinagar, March 16 (IANS) The Gujarat government Tuesday announced the grant of municipal corporation status to the state capital Gandhinagar.

Urban Development Minister Nitin Patel announced the decision in the state assembly Tuesday, making the state capital the eighth municipal corporation in the state.

Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Junagadh already enjoy this status in the state.

The announcement came on the last day of the expiry of the six-month deadline set by the high court for the formation of the municipal corporation after a local citizen's body sought its intervention in the regard.

The state capital has been without a local self-government up to now with a notified authority headed by the district collector functioning directly under the aegis of the state government.